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New Champions Check Russia's Hegemony in Chess

Now India and Norway have powerhouse players, and in the United States, St. Louis is turning into a hotbed.

By

Yasser Seirawan

Updated April 27, 2014 6:46 p.m. ET

St. Louis

While he has taken over Crimea with relative ease, Vladimir Putin is presiding over the loss of an asset no doubt far dearer to the Russian people: hegemony in chess. To see the evidence, drop by the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis any Sunday afternoon—if you can squeeze in, that is.

For the better part of the 20th century, the Soviet Union dominated chess. Viewing superiority in the game as proof of...